TRUMAN EXPLAINS ATTITUDE TO KREMLIN RULERS

Greymouth Evening Star, 20 October 1948, Page 8

TRUMAN EXPLAINS ATTITUDE TO KREMLIN RULERS

NEW YORK. October 18. . Explaining why he.had considered sending the United States Chief Justice (Mi- Fred Vinson) to Russia, Mr Truman told the annual convention of .the American Legion at Miami that his . purpose was to ask Mr Stalin to help to dispel ‘‘the poisonous atmosphere of distrust, surrounding the negotiations between the Western Powers arid the Soviet Union.” (The abandoning of this plan, on the advice of the Secretary of State, General Marshall, was announced by Mr Truman'.nine days ago.) “My emissary was to have conveyed the seriousness and sincerity of the people of the United States in their desire for peace. This proposal had no relation to existing negotiations within the scope of the United Nations or the Council of Foreign Ministers. l ar from cutting across these negotiations, the purpose of the mission was to improve the atmosphere in which they must take place, and so help to produce fruitful, peaceful results. ■ “I want to make it clear that I hav e not departed one step from my determination to utilise every opportunity to work for peace, said the President. “Whenever an appropriate opportunity arises I shall act to further the interests of peace within the framework of our relations wuh our Allies and of the United Nations. Mr Truman said the United States would spare no effort to achieve peace, on which the entire destiny of the human race might depend He described as a wicked falsehood dip “loose irresponsible talk that the United States is deliberately ing a course leading to war.' He said “So long as I am President of the United States there will be no chip on the shoulder of America.